Big Game Party Recipe: New England Chowder With Old Bay Croutons

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After months of TV watching, countless cheers and upsets, and numerous football parties, the Super Bowl is finally here. And with the Patriots and the Giants meeting for their second Super Bowl matchup in the last few years, it’s sure to be a great game. I enjoy having Super Bowl parties, but what I really love is creating theme recipes. Here are two recipes, one for New York fans and one for Patriots fans, and both are easy to put together and are sure to impress your guests.

New England Chowder with Old Bay Croutons(serves 6-8 as a regular entrée)
adapted from Epicurious
If you don’t like clams, feel free to omit the clams and then substitute vegetable stock for the clam juice. For a more festive feel, serve the chowder in shot glasses!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ¼ pound canned clams, minced, juice reserved

2-3 cups clam juice OR 3 cups of vegetable stock

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

½ cup frozen corn

2 cups half and half

1 tablespoon dry white wine

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

1 baguette, diced into 1-inch cubes

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the clam juice and juice from canned clams until you have 3 cups of liquid.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until translucent and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring, for another 2 minutes.

Whisk in the clam juice, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning. Add the diced potatoes and simmer partially covered until the potatoes are tender.

In a separate sauce pan, combine the minced clams and half and half and simmer until clams are cooked through. Once the potatoes are tender, add the clam mixture to the soup pot and the frozen corn. Simmer together for another few minutes. Stir in the wine and Worcestershire sauce, taste and adjust salt & pepper.

Meanwhile, toss the cubed bread, olive oil, and Old Bay seasoning. Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Bake until the bread is crisp but still has some give, about 5-8 minutes. Serve the chowder in small bowls or shot glasses and top each serving with Old Bay croutons.

Christine Hinrichs is a vegetarian who loves everything related to food. She daydreams about recipes, frequents the local farmers’ markets, and reads cookbooks before bed. Read about her food adventures at ruminationsonfood.blogspot.com.